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A review by canada_matt
The Bourne Retribution by Eric Van Lustbader, Robert Ludlum
2.0
Jason Bourne is back for his eleventh adventure, ready to impress readers, but perhaps disappoint series fans. Bourne is called into action by Mossad to look into a secretive joint effort between member of the Chinese Politburo and some powerful cartels to rid him of his rivals. Still pained from a death close to his heart, Bourne will stop at nothing to earn retribution against one of his long-standing nemeses, infiltrating closed-circles with his ability to elude all those who get too close. Bourne is determined to avenge this death, taking him from Tel Aviv to Shanghai, Mexico City, and, ultimately, a village in China. As always, Bourne never knows who he can trust and whether his actions may lead to his own death. As the series limps along, Bourne never loses his taste for thrills and action, no matter the cost.
Should the reader take a look at the book on its own merits, it is highly entertaining. An interesting cross-section of characters from all over the world, their nuances laid out in wonderful detail. Van Lustbader tells a great tale and does not let up until the closing pages, so he has some abilities. That said, one cannot ignore that this book is one in a series; a brick in a larger wall. Looking back at the collection of Bourne novels, which I read over the December 2012-February 2013 period, I needed a stiff drink once van Lustbader took over. After completing this novel, some of the same issues remain: a complete lack of understanding about Bourne's age progression, no real arc ties to self-discovery, and the permanent elusive floater, a la Jack Reacher, but with less interest. Yes, I agreed to steer clear of this series, but sometimes you just need to peek under the cover to see if anything has changed. Alas, van Lustbader still suffers from Patterson Syndrome (using past greatness to sell less than stellar works), with no hopes of abating. Perhaps he ought to look at some of the other Ludlum continuation novelists for inspiration and leave his pedestal for a while.
Shame, Mr. van Lustbader. While this book on its own was good, you cannot ignore your responsibility to the Ludlum Estate and keep Robert's name from dragging in the mud.
Should the reader take a look at the book on its own merits, it is highly entertaining. An interesting cross-section of characters from all over the world, their nuances laid out in wonderful detail. Van Lustbader tells a great tale and does not let up until the closing pages, so he has some abilities. That said, one cannot ignore that this book is one in a series; a brick in a larger wall. Looking back at the collection of Bourne novels, which I read over the December 2012-February 2013 period, I needed a stiff drink once van Lustbader took over. After completing this novel, some of the same issues remain: a complete lack of understanding about Bourne's age progression, no real arc ties to self-discovery, and the permanent elusive floater, a la Jack Reacher, but with less interest. Yes, I agreed to steer clear of this series, but sometimes you just need to peek under the cover to see if anything has changed. Alas, van Lustbader still suffers from Patterson Syndrome (using past greatness to sell less than stellar works), with no hopes of abating. Perhaps he ought to look at some of the other Ludlum continuation novelists for inspiration and leave his pedestal for a while.
Shame, Mr. van Lustbader. While this book on its own was good, you cannot ignore your responsibility to the Ludlum Estate and keep Robert's name from dragging in the mud.